


Love required

by orphan_account



Series: Them domestic life celestials [3]
Category: Good Omens (TV), Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
Genre: A storm, Comfort, Established Relationship, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Its 2am i have to get up in 4 hours, M/M, Nightmares, No Plot/Plotless, Rain, South Downs Cottage (Good Omens), no beta we die like men, they have pets
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-08
Updated: 2019-08-08
Packaged: 2020-08-13 06:57:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20170066
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Autumn makes them uncomfortable. The kids pay a mysterious early visit. Crowley suffers from nightmares and Aziraphale is trying his best because he loves him so very much.





	Love required

**Author's Note:**

> Its hard for me to write anything but fluff about them and i dont know why. I just need them to be happy.
> 
> Also why do i never sleep?

Aziraphale roused at 4.02 AM on tuesday. Crowley's arm is heavy accross his chest and his breathing is coming in warm puffs on the side of his face. Too warm, he noticed. Back of his head and his lower back are drenched in sweat and he feels that if he doesn't get away now, he might suffocate. He stares at their light wood ceiling for what feels like hours and tries to go back to sleep.

He focuses on the steady tick of the bedroom grandfather clock and imagines tracing its fine detail with the tips of his fingers. He breathes in the smell of wood and for now tries to ignore the warmth. Outside rain starts at out of rhythm taps againt glass and then builds up into dense drumming. Air inside the room isn't good enough

Aziraphale gently removes the arm from atop his ribs, makes the movement unnoticeable by force of will. Not that Crowley is particurarly easy to wake. As he sits up his temperature goes down just a tad bit, enough to make him shiver as the sweat cools. Even more cool air blows in as he opens a window but this time it's more than welcome. He's sure Crowley would too appreciate not waking up in a room as stuffy as hell.

Petrichor. The smell of fat rain drops falling on dry soil to make a home is definetily one of the angel's favorites. The air is so sweet and evocative he feels like going to stand in the fresh pour. Who wouldn't love it? He should remember to ask Crowley. Many times he has fallen asleep to a rainfall's captivating sound but he's so wide awake now he probably won't sleep for the next couple of days.

He streches long and not-so elegantly and accidentally lets a noise slip as his joints pop. He peers at the bed but its occupier is still fast asleep and snoring quietly. His limbs are spread in every direction and their cover is bunched up by his feet. The angel gingerly takes a seat at the edge and swipes sweaty ginger curls out of the way. He plants a soft kiss on the demon's forehead and watches his face scrunch up and go slack again. "May you have sweet and fresh dreams, love."

Dowstairs it's near to almost cold so Aziraphale snatches a pair of wool socks from a basket in the hallway. Under the garments sleeps Elijah who gives him a mean look. He strokes a finger on the raven's head in apology but only gets a ruffle of feathers in return. "You have jolly dreams as well then. Don't get up all grumpy and start biting our fingers again." 

He puts on boots but not before checking them. The possibility of stepping on a snake in this house is alarmingly high. Crowley once started screaming that there's a snake in the angel's boot and of course there wasn't, Aziraphale had checked. The demon had snickered at the scowl he got and explained it's from a movie he had watched with Warlock. What a child. 

Lastly he puts on his light grey raincoat with little frogs on it. Similar to Crowley's black one with ducks. Saying they were an anniversary gift was more just an excuse for getting gifts. They don't keep track with that stuff. 

He heads towards their stable in the heavy rain and discovers many puddles and an almost-a-ditch formation where the ground dips down and up again in the middle of the way. He sloshes his way through and looks out for any toads.

Inside the stable is humid so he ends up back in square one and wants to go swim in one of the bigger puddles. "Atleast we know the heating's working." He grunts and takes off the coat. "Who's hungry? Lucky early breakfast this time." He gets responds from the goats and of course the chickens but they're never quiet. Then a voice that makes his hair stand on end. Unless they have another talking animal that was definitely a child's voice. He hears it again, this time it's more than one but it's all murmured. 

He peeks around the corner to where the horses' stalls are and finds all four sources of voice. The them are sitting in a pile of hay with adam on the highest block with dog. "Adam young?" Aziraphale says, a confused question. He feels a little awkawrd just standing half behind a wall and being stared down so he moves forward. 

"We're sorry to barge in but it's raining cats and dogs." Says Adam. "Like, really raining." Wensleydale adds, stretching out the 'really'. For a moment Aziraphale fears Adam actually did do something to the rain but brushes it off. "We weren't sure if you were sleeping or if we'd be welcome so early." Pepper informs. Brian is petting the horses.

What a silly thing, Aziraphale thinks. "Oh, well, you're welcome anytime of course. You're going to get sick in here....and what on earth are you traveling around so early for?" He's blabbering a bit, everything coming in a row but he wasn't expecting quests. He fetches umbrellas he may or may have not just miracled from a stockroom. 

They vary in colors and patterns. "There we are. Choose." Adam ponders between a blue one and a blue with yellow stripes then picks the first. Wensleydale and Brian both pick grey but Brian's has a hint of green. Pepper chooses a red one and studies it like it could be better but it'll do.

"Sir, that's quite many umbrellas." Brian says and points it at his friends like a sword. They all take a stance and Aziraphale sighs. "Yes....collectibles. Now into the main house, you lot. Quickly. The door's open." He watches them bounce out and cringes at the flying mud. "Fix yourselves something!" He yells after them.

As he tends the animals the storm outside gets worse. Wind whistles sharply inside through gaps and the sound of rain is deafening. He checks that all doors and locks and windows are secured so even if the poor things freak out, they won't escape and hurt themselves.

Thunder cracks and lighting flashes to momentarily light his way. The raincoat is barely any help at this point as the water shoots down like spikes. Aziraphale feels something in the air, he can barely latch onto it as the storm beats down on his senses but it's there. It's a feeling--an emotion that he has grown to know and it's edging dreadful. The urge to protect and soothe that emotion warms him like fuel. He notices himself standing still in the ditch - - that has grown significantly - - and staring up at their bedroom window.

Crowley. Of course.

He's running inside and up the stairs before he can register it and right at their bedroom door a hollow pitch forms at the bottom of his stomach. He knows without looking that Crowley isn't in the house anymore. He almost slips at the stairs on his way back due to his wet boots. Adam walks into the scene with a plate of nuggets and sees him retain his balance with difficulty.

"Do you need help? Might help taking those things off."

"No, I'm--actually yes, you wouldn't happen to know where Crowley has gone, would you?"

"He walked downstairs earlier, looking really tired, and said 'crepes'. Then he walked into the rain without any gear." Adam looked back at his friends in the living room for confirmation and gave Aziraphale a nod. "Right, thank you, enjoy the nuggets."

'Without any gear' Aziraphale mumbles as he finds a scarf and a jacket for his dumb husband. He set his course for the small building near their lakeshore. It has a roof and windows on every wall. There they can make their own crepes despite the weather and it's great even if Aziraphale still prefers the ones in France.

Crowley is sitting with his back against a wall and half asleep when Aziraphale enters. He had made a vague attempt at drying himself but water was still dripping from his hair to his face and shoulders. Much to the angel's delight he had let it grow out again into rich curls though now they looked more like spaghetti.

Aziraphale gets a towel from underneath the bench. It hasn't been used in awhile since both of them are very picky about swimming weather. "'I don't like the cold', he says." Ridicules the angel softly. He's being careful but remembers that dealing with Crowley isn't like stepping on glass. The demon looks more awake now and even lets out a huff. "May I?" Aziraphale asks and presents the towels.

Crowley nods and closes his eyes again as the soft cloth drags against his head. When Aziraphale deems him dry enough he sits down and takes his partner's left hand, lets him lean his head on his shoulder. He dares to close his eyes as well and listens. The rain and wind are still going strong and somewhere a tree creaks threateningly. He tightens his grip reassuringly. He makes space for Crowley to speak himself, if that's what he wants but he's also content with just being there.

It feels like ages before Crowley speaks, long after Aziraphale thought he had fallen asleep.

"That bird tried to eat my fingers and the house has been invaded by children."

Aziraphale can't help laughing. The storm calms down a few levels and soon it's just soft patter against glass again. Crowley straightens to strectch and groan but starts to miss the warmth and burrows back against the angel. Aziraphale had hoped to get more layers on him but it seems he's glued.

"I might have stolen socks off of him but I did remind him so I'm not at fault."

"Hmm, and the kids?"

"I found them in the barn. They weren't sure if they'd be welcome. Can you believe that?"

Crowley frowns. "At ass o'clock? Why?"

"I think i asked but never gave them time to actually answer." Crowley snorts and the angel goes to defend: "They could've gotten sick!"

"I know, i hate autumn, it's either way too hot or cold. It was suffocating inside but now im freezing here." Crowley complains. Aziraphale rubs his cheek on his head sympathetically which caused a whine. "I left the window open for you. I'm sorry i left a pool of sweat on the bed." 

"Angeellll the mosquitoessss." He hisses and dramatically throws half his body accross Aziraphale's lap, staring up at the ceiling. "And you weren't there when i woke up," He swallowed audibly and the angel's heart pulled apart strings. "The, it's--the nightmares-" Crowley was clearly in pain admitting it but he was so proud of him. They've come a long way in this and he knows to always let him take his time. 

"I'm terribly sorry love I-" He takes his turn as Crowley shuts his now bleary eyes. "I should have known, I mean i think i did somehow." He remembers the familiar words. "I tried to give you lovely dreams almost unconsciously," He cards fingers through dry and soft locks. "Like a reflex."

The storm outside doesn't start to blaze again so he takes that as a good sign. "I appreciate it, Angel, but I think I woke up pretty much right after you left." Yellow of his eyes has bled further but otherwise he's relaxed, comfortable. "You waited that long for me to find you?"

"Well it took time to, uh, get myself together." Judging by the tone of his voice that was just a code for crying his eyes out. Which didn't help the condition of Aziraphale's heart. He felt he might start crying himself. "Would you like to talk about it--the dream i mean."

Crowley cranes his neck bacwards and rolls his head around, trying to make some sense of his thoughts and feelings right now. "Nahh, maybe later." His gaze focuses on his Angel. "You don't sleep much though. Have you ever had a nightmare?" 

"A couple times, yes." He bites his cheek in thought. "Unfortunately all about you, in one way or another. More pleasent ones in the end though."

Crowley hestitates but he has damned curiosity. "What are they like?"

"Its almost like going through hell and back...well not literally, metaphorically i mean--you know what i mean. I'm not starting to smell like sulphur just yet, am I?" Crowley takes in a ridiculous amount of air and even scents it with a forked tongue before declaring that no, no he doesn't. 

He pulls himself up then and wraps the large scarf around his think neck. "I should leave all the sad stuff for winter. Ohh, I'm going to be so miserable. Please, Angel, wouldn't you let me sleep the whole thing off?"

"Dear, then you'd miss all the fun things I found we could do! Have you ever build a snowman? Or Snow lanterns?," Aziraphale enthuses, letting the subject drop for now. "-And the winter festival! The children told me about it. Apparently it's going to be stunning."

The demon groans. They step outside where the rain has subsided and the clouds are alot less looming. It isn't exactly time for sunshine yet Aziraphale hopes to change that. "Come on, love. Let me tempt you, let me convince you to love winter."

"Love is a strong word, Angel."

"Hmm, exactly and you know what? I might just love you, Anthony J. Crowley." They stand close, face to face and connect both or their hands this time. 

"Oh, is that so? You're playing a dangerous game here."

"It, in all truth, is nothing if not," They lean even closer, eyes shifting and breathing hitching on opposite skin. "-perfect."

As they join in an impassioned kiss light seeps through the clouds in streaks and lands on the lake's surface. Plants around them get an expanded life span for now until Crowley or nature decides otherwise. Their wedding bands gleam even in their shadow. In the house somebody groans in disgust and draws the curtains close.

**Author's Note:**

> My writing is so cheesy but thats just how it be.  
I don't know if i'll at some point go into more detail about what kind of nightmares they are.


End file.
